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Work Packages

We host events, learning workshops, and discussions. We produce key tools, case studies and learning material. We conduct experimentation, we research, and we promote innovation, all in the name of open innovation approaches to effectively address societal challenges.

Our networks

This work is all connected through our networks. We identified 10 high-impact existing and emerging networks relating to social innovation, and engage and connect actors including researchers, social innovators, citizens, policymakers and others such as intermediaries, businesses, civil society organisations and public sector employees. We work with these networks to increase their size and connectivity, link them with other networks and initiatives, increase their policy influence and build their capacity for learning and sharing.

We are building the SIC platform through a number of complementary solutions:

Learning Portal

We want to promote learning and reflective practice as part of a new social innovation culture which links open and participatory learning processes to solving social problems and scaling-up local solutions and competencies within and across SIC networks. So this work package promotes social innovation learning among practitioners, policymakers and researchers by using participatory learning processes, and by sharing resources, cases, methods (find out more).

Key outputs

The SIC Learning Repository is an online, open resource available for innovators, researchers and policy makers to improve their skills in design for social innovation.

Experimentation

Through the experimentation work package, the SIC project is testing new approaches to social innovation by supporting and promoting grassroots and institutional experiments, in particular cross-sector and transnational collaborations in locally defined priority areas.

Key outputs

We conducted 5 experiments in 4 cities under-represented countries: Italy, Norway, Estonia and Croatia. We worked closely with a host centre co-defined challenges and co created solutions. Read about our process here. You can read about the results of the experimentation work and the impact in these interviews with participants: Norway, Estonia, Croatia.

Research Portal

Through our Research work package, we will contributing to creating common understanding of social innovation examining past trends, the latest evidence and emerging methodologies in order to identify future priority areas. We want to support the emergence of an inclusive social innovation research community which transcends european borders and fuel discussion on the most prominent topics, empirical results and methodologies in social innovation research (find out more).

Key outputs:

Our important Research Landscape Report provides an overview of the current research landscape in Europe and beyond, and offers key information regarding those who work in these areas of social innovation, their research interests and the current status of their work. ​

Policy Portal

The SIC project supports policymakers at European and other levels to design policies and other measures to support social innovation by making evidence-based recommendations and linking policymakers to practitioners, citizens and the latest research. We identify existing policy recommendations, and tracking policy trends and change over time, and showing where current priorities lie, at a cross-cutting level and within the thematic areas of the SIC networks (find out more).

Our Policy Portal collates a series of useful case studies, resources and tools that enable policymakers to better support and make use of social innovation approaches and principles for policy impact.

You can also find out more about SIC's Policy Workshops and Master Classes here.